Pipe tong



May 2,1944 c. A. LUNDEEN 2,347,698

PIPE TONG Filed Nov. 26, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 M5575? A. L .ff/vaas@ INVENTOR if 6.

BY M M C. A. LUNDEEN PIPE TONG May 2, 1944.

Filed Nov. 26 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Msn-RA. .//fvaff/g,

INVENTOR Patented May 2, 1944 UNITED STATESWPATENT OFFICE PIPE TONG Chester A. Lundeen, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Byron Jackson Co.; Huntington Park, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application November 26, 1941, Serial No. 420,469

10 Claims.

This invention relates generally to pipe tongs, and particularly to pipe tongs of the type adapted for use on drill pipe, well casing and the like.v

In the art of drilling oil wells, a wide range of sizes of drill pipe, drill collars and well casing are used. For example, drill pipe sizes range from 23/8 inches to 65/8 inches in diameter, and casing sizes cover an even wider range, from 41/2 inches to 20 inches indiameter. The practice with respect to drill collar size varies considerably, in some instances the diameter of the drill collar being equal to that of the drill pipe tool joints while in other instances a drill collar is used which is several inches larger in diameter than the tool joints. In drilling and completing a single well, it is not uncommon to use two or more strings of drill pipe of diierent sizes, with varying sizes of drill collars, and to set two or more strings of different sized casing in the well. Furthermore, successive wells drilled with a single rig may require the use of different sized strings of drill pipe, drill collars and casing. It is therefore apparent that a completely equipped drilling rig must include pipe tongs capable of handling a wide range of sizes of drill pipe, drill 1:25

collars and casing. The most obvious, but also the most costly, method of meeting this requirement is by equipping the rig with a set oi tongs for each size of drill pipe and casing encountered in the service of the particular rig. However, 521th substantial savings can be effected by providing interchangeable heads, iitting different sizes `of pipe, which may be selectively mounted on a single lever and hanging device.

Because of the necessarily Ahigh investment cost incidental to either of the foregoing methods, many attempts have been made to provide a well pipe tong which can be adapted to handle several different sizes of pipe, and thus reduce the number of tongs required on a single rig. to

Some measure of success has been attained by each of the following expedients:

(1) By increasing the number of effective jaws, as irlV an adjustable chain tong, for example;

(2) By providing two or more interchangeable e.

jaws of different lengths which can be selectively connected to the permanent jaws to change the size of the pipe opening without increasing the number of jaws; and

(3) By providing a multiple-step latch between adjacent jaws, to change the size of the pipe opening without either lincreasing the effective number of jaws or providing interchangeable jaws of different lengths.`

Each of the foregoing expedients, however, is

subject to limitations and objections. A chain tong, for example, is not satisfactory for drill pipe and casing work because it cannot be applied to the pipe with the requisite speed and ease of handling. Also, when this type of tong is used in a horizontal position on vertical pipe, the free end of the series of chain links tends to sag excessively, due to the large number of pivotal connections between the links.

` The provision of interchangeable jaws of different lengths has proven fairly satisfactory in spite of the lack of perfect iit on all pipe sizes within the range of the tong. However, a large number of extra jaws are required in order to provide a size range covering the most widely used sizes of drill pipe, drill collars and casing.

The multiple-step latch has also proven successful, but the range of adjustment a'orded by this feature is insuiilcient in itselfto provide what can be considered a wide-range tong.-

It can be seen from the foregoing that 'none of the expedients adopted and developed to date provides a wide-range tong combining the advantages oi simplicity, economy, ease of operation and adjustability through the normal size range of pipe encountered. The desired range of adjustment has been attained only by sacricing either ease of operation or economy, or both.

It is a principal object of this invention to provide a well pipe tong which is of simple and economical construction, and which is adjustable through the full range of pipe sizes ordinarily encountered, without the addition of extra jaws or the substitution of jaws of different lengths.

A further object is to provide a wide-range well rpipe tong comprising a iixed number of jaws which are adjustably rinterconnected in such a manner that they maybe adjusted to accommodate any size of drill pipe, drill collars or casing ordinarily encountered in drilling and complet- A still further object is to provide a well pipe tong of the above character which is of well balanced construction and which can be manipulated with the ease of a single-size tong, irrespec- .pipe opening or collapsed to engage a small pipe,

the telescopic arrangement being such as to provide, in any size, a tong having the appearance and ease of operation of a single-size tong.

A stillV further object is to provide a widefrom the following detailed description of a pre'- ferred embodiment thereof, reference being had f to the accompanying drawings wherein: V

Fig. 1 is a plan view of atongiconstructedin accordance with the invention'showing the jaws adjusted to provide a small pipe opening therebetween; f

posed series of jaws, one end of each series being pivotally connected to a lever, and the free ends of the series being releasablylatched together. Thus one series of jaws comprises an inner jaw I pivotally connected at one end by a pivot pin 2 to a lever 3, and being pivotally connected by a pivot pin 4 to an outer jaw 5. A latch member E. is pivotally connected at .7 to the free end of the jaw 5, and isyieldingly urged toward its closed position by a pair of compression springs 8 and 9 (Fig. 2) interposed between suitable opposed abutments on the latch member and the jaw. The other series of jaws comprises an inner jaw I y Ii] pivotally connected by a pivot pin II to the Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1, illustrating the adjustable telescopic connection between a pair of jaws;

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the tong of Fig. l, as seen from the lower side of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken on the broken line IV-IV vof Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view of the tong of Fig. l, taken substantially in the broken plane indicated by section line V-V of Fig. 2, but showing the jaws spread apart in open position;

Fig. 6 is a plan View similar to Fig. i, but showing the jaws adjusted to partially extended positions to enable "the tongto'be latched about a pipeof considerably greater diameter than that shown in Fig. 1; r

Fig. 7 is a verticalsectional view taken substantially on line'VII-VII of Fig. 6

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the tong of Figs. l and 6, showing the jaws adjusted to their fully extended positions to `accommodatelarge diameter casing; and Y Fig. 9 is a verticalsectional view taken on line IX-IX of Fig. 8, illustrating more clearly, by comparison with 2, the adjustable telescopic connection betwee'na pair of jaws. f

In the embodiment of Vthednvention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, relative adjustment" between adjacent jaws ofthe tong isrendercd possible by the provision of a series of pivot pin holes in one of' a pair of jaws, the other jaw being provided with a pivot pin hole adaptedV to' be selectively aligned with anyone of the series of holesto receive a pivot pin connecting the jaws. An exceedingly wide range of adjustment is obtained by providing two such' series of selective pivotal connections. It 'has been found preferable to dispose the two series of connections on substantially opposite sides ofthe pipe opening in order to permit alternate extension of the jaw sections on opposite sides of thev pipe opening, and thus maintain the quickly releasable latch in the most favorable position for quickly and easily applying the tong to a pipe.' It-has also been ascertained that VIthe incorporation in the tong of a multiple-step latch not only aiords an independent adjustment in relatively small increments, but also, in cooperation with the adjustable pivotal connections between the' jaws, provides a exibility of adjustment and a'f.wide range of selection from which to choose to obrated in a tong of the` type comprising twooptain the most uniform 'distribution ofthe pipel contacting surfaces lever 3 ata point'spaced from the pivotal conv nection lof theij'aw i with the lever, and an outer jaw I 2V pivotally connected to the jaw Ill by a pivot pin i3.' A series of stepped latching surfaces I-i, l5 and i5 are formed on the jaw l2, and are adapted to be selectively engaged by a cooperating latching surface 5'! on the latch member 6.1 f

r.ihe outer jaw 5 is provided with an integral male extension 25.?, through which extend a series of parallel, spaced pivot pin holes ZI, 22, 23 and 24. As shown most'clearly in Figs. 2 and 9, the extension 20 is adapted to telescope between a pair of upper and' lower female lugs 25 and 26 formed on the inner jaw i. A pair of aligned holes 27 and 23 are provided in thelugs 25 and 25 adjacent their outer ends, and are adapted to be aligned with a selected `one of the pivot pin holes El, 22, 23- and 2d, and to receive the pivot pin E.. In this manner the effective length of the outer jaw 5, as measured between the axes of the pivot-pins l and l, may be varied considerably.

In a similar manner the outer jaw I2 includes an integral male extension 3Q in which are formed a plurality of parallel, spaced pivot pin holes 3i, 32,-

and 3d. The mating inner jaw itl includes a pair of upper and lower female lug portions 3 5 and between which the male extension 3i! is adapted toextend. Aligned holes are formed in the outer4 ends of the lug portions 35 and 3S and are adapted to register with any one of the holes 3i, andk 34 in the male extension 3e@ .to receive thev pivot pin I3, thus vpivotally connecting the jaws i9 and I2 at any one of ne several spaced points on the jaw l2.

It will be observed, particularly with reference to Figs. l, e e, that the male extensions 29 .and iid on the respective out-er jaws 5 and I2 are substantially completely housed within the lateral limits'of their respective innerjaws I and It, the normal shape of thejaw ir being such as to telescopically receive the extension 2d, and the jaw iii being: provided with upper andvlower outwardly extending ribs 39 and lil forming a substantial enclosure for the extensin l;

.Each of the jaws l, .Fr-iii and i2 is provided with a pipe-contacting surface on its inner vertical face.` Thus the two inner jaws I and I0 are formed with relatively long surfaces lll and 42, respectively, and the outer jaws 5 and I2 are Yprovided. with reiatively short pipe-contacting to permit the extension 2i!l to fully telescope within the jaw I. In a like manner, the surface 42 on the other inner jaw IIJ is centrally slotted to receive the extension 30 of reduced height on the jaw I2. In this manner, the pipe-contacting surfaces 43 and 44 on the outer jaws 5 and I2 may be telescoped within the space defined by the surfaces 4I and 42 on the inner jaws I and III, thus enabling the jaws to close about and grip a pipe of relatively small diameter, as indicated at 46 in Fig. 1.

At thesame time, the extension of the surfaces 4I and 42 in overlapping relation to themale extensions 2i] and 3i! on the jaws 5 and. I2 provides rpipe-contacting surfaces of considerable extent and reduces the unsupported area of thepipe when the tong is applied to a pipe of large diameter, as indicated at 48 in Fig. 8.

The pipe-contacting surfaces 4I, 42, 43 and 44 may be of any desired contour. However, I prefer to form them as arcs of a circle of a diameter substantially that of the largest size of pipe capable of being handled by the tong, as shown Amost clearly in Fig. 8.

Suitable pipe gripping means may be provided, and for purpose of illustration I have shown gripping dies 5I) mounted in dovetailed slots in the inner jaws I and III and retained in their'respective slots by any suitable means such, for example, as rivets 5I having their heads overlying and underlying the ends of the dies. The location of the die slots in the jaws is selected to insure that at least one die in each jaw will contact the pipe irrespective of the size of the pipe being gripped.

From the description thus far, it is apparent that in the specific embodiment illustrated, the outer jaw 5 may be pivotally connected to the inner jaw I at any one of four selectedpoints on lthe jaw 5, and that the outer jaw I2 may ,be similarly pivotally 'connected to the inner jaw II] at any one offour selected points on the jaw I2. Obviously, any desired combination of .pivotal connections between the pairs of jaws may be selected, providing a total of sixteen possible adjustments. Furthermore, in each o f the sixteen selective adjustments, the latch member B may be engaged with any one of the three stepped latching surfaces I4, I5 and I6 on the jaw I2, thus providing a total of forty eight different connections between the jaws. Three of these arrangements are illustrated in Figs. l, 6 and 8. It will be understood, of course, that the number of selective pivot holes in the extensions 2l) and 30, and also the number of latching steps on the jaw I2, may be varied within practical limits.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be observed that the ymale extensions 2`and Bil on the jaws 5 and I2 are fully telescoped within their respective mating jaws I and ID, and the pivot pins-Ll 'and I3 engage the first holes 2l and 3| ofthe respective series. lIhe pipe-contacting surfaces 43 and 44 on the outer jaws 5 and I2 are telescoped within the area bounded by the pipe-contacting surfaces 4I and 42 on the inner jaws I and IIJ, thus forming a relatively small pipe opening between the jaws. It will be observed that the four jaws contact the pipe 4G at four substantially equally spaced points about the circumference of the pipe, and it is to be noted in that the small curvature of the pipe permits it to be disposed closer to the apex of the recess between these two jaws, than is the case with larger diameter pipe.

It will also be noted in connection with Fig. l that the latch member engages the latching sui'- face I4 on the jaw I2. It will be understood that the outer jaws 5 and I2V may be successively opened up to accommodate somewhat larger sized pipe than the pipe 46 without disturbing the ad' justable pivotal connections at 4 and I3, simply by engaging the latch member 5 with the latching surface I5 or I6.

If it is desired to grip a -pipe of slightly larger diameter than that which can be handled with the jaws adjusted as shown in Fig. 1, it is only necessary .to remove either the pivot pin 4 or I3 and slide the corresponding outer jaw 5 or I2 outwardly until the next pivot pin hole 22 or 32 is aligned with the hole in the inner jaw, and then re-insert the pivot pin. This procedure is repeated throughout the range of adjustment of the tong, and it should be noted in this connection that I have found that most satisfactory results are obtained by `alternately adjusting the jaws 5 and I2 rather than fully extending one jaw before electing adjustment of the other. The former4 procedure maintains the latched connection between the outer jaws substantially on the opposite side of the pipe opening from the lever, and thus facilitates the application of the tong to the pipe. It also affords more uniform distribution of the pipecontacting surfaces about the periphery of the pipe.

In order to clearly illustrate the uniform distribution of the pipe-contacting surfaces 4I, 42, 43 and 44 about the pipe in the Various adjusted positions of the jaws, I have shown in Fig. 6 the arrangement of the jaws when gripping a pipe 41 of intermediate size. In this figure it will be observed that the pivot pin 44 engages the third hole 23 of the series of pivot pin holes in the extension 20, and the pivot pin I3 also engages the third hole 33 of the series of holes in the exten-` sion 30. The latch member 6 engages the second latching step I5 on the jaw I2. It will be'noted that the points of contact between the pipe-and the respective jaws are very evenly spaced about the pipe, thus uniformly distributing the inwardly exerted pressure on the pipe and avoiding crushing thereof. It Iwill also be noted that due to the increased curvature of this size of pipe, the outermost of the two dies in the jaw I engages the pipe, although the disposition of the jaw I0 is such as to cause the innermost die therein to contact the pipe, as in Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 the jaws 5 and I2 are shown fully extended with the pivot pins 4 and I3 respectively engaging the last holes 24 and 34 of the respec= tive-series. rIhe latch member 6 engages the iinallatching step I6 on the 'jaw I2, thus indieating that the limit of adjustment' has been reached; i

In order to facilitate the application of the tongs to the'pipe, and particularly to eilect automatic engagement of the latch by manual swinging of the lever, suitable abutments are provided between the jaws I and 5 and between the jaw I and the lever 3. Thus, as seen most clearly in Figs. l and 5, an abutment surface is formed on the jaw I and is engageable with a surface 55 on the extension 20 of the jaw 5 to limit the open-A ing movement of the jaw 5 with respect to the jaw I. Also, a stop shoulder 5l is formed on the jaw I engageable with the rear edge 58 of the lever 3 adjusted positions of the jaws.

to limit the opening movement of the jaw i with respect to the lever. These cooperating abutments are eiective, upon swinging movement of the lever about the pivot pin II in a counterclockwise direction, to cause the jaws l and to be moved bodily inwardly into contact with the pipe, the latch member riding over the cam surfaces on the latching lugs and automatically swinging about its pivot 'I into closed position under the action of the springs 8 and 9.

It is also deemed desirable to provide a stop shoulder 59 on the jaw I0 cooperating with the surface 6| on the extension on the jaw I2 to limit the opening movement of the latter when the jaws are extended, and a stop shoulder 60 on the jaw iii cooperating with the surface 6| to limit the closing movement of the jaw i2,

Manipulation of the tong during application to I and removal from the pipe is also facilitated by the provision of suitable handles, such as the handle 62 on the jaw 5, the handle 63 on the latch member 6, and the handle 64 on the jaw l 2. v Attention is directed particularly to the novel arrangement of the pipe-contacting surfaces on the jaws, which, in conjunction with the adjustable pivotalconnections between the jaws, plays an important part in attaining distribution of the points of contact between the jaws and the pipe uniformly about the periphery of the pipe in all As shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 7, the pipe-contacting surfaces 4 and 42 on the inner jaws l and I0 are extended to the outer ends of these jaws, being slotted (Fig. 7) to overlie and underlie the projections 20 and 3D on the outer jaws 5 and l2, respectively, when the jaws are adjusted to accommodate small size pipe. The pipe-contacting surfaces 43 and 44 on the outer jaws 5 and I2, however, are relatively short and terminate at the base of each of the projections 2i] and 30, thus permitting the surfaces 43 and 54 to be disposed within the 'area bounded by the surfaces iii and 42, as is most clearly shown in Fig. 1. When the outer jaws 5 are extended to accommodate large diameter pipe, as in Fig. 8, the extended and slotted portions of the surfaces 4| and 42 are brought into' play to provide additional supporting engagement with the pipe.

From the foregoing description of one embodiment of the invention, it will be apparent that a tong constructed in accordance therewith has many distinct advantages over prior devices of this type, considered from the standpoints' of simplicity, economy, ease of operation, range of adjustment, and ease of eecting the adjustments. The number of jaws required is constant, irrespective of the size of pipe to be gripped, in contrast to tongs of the chain type. Neither is it necessary to, provide an assortment of auxiliary interchangeable jaws in order to cover a wide range of sizes. By reason of the telescopic arrangement of the jaws, the external contour of the tong changes as the size of the pipe opening is varied, thus giving the appearance of and affording the ease of operation of a single-size tong, irrespective of the size to which it is adjusted.

It should also be borne in mind that drill pipe and casing tongs are necessarily massive and heavy in order to be of suflcient strength to withstand the severe service to which they are subjected. A complete tong often weighs as muchas f 500 pounds, even the smallest jaws weighing from 25 to 50 pounds, and the largest jaws weighing as much as '75 pounds apiece. For this reason,

able. In the instant case, however, it is not necessary to remove a jaw to effect the adjustment. By providing a fairly snug sliding fit between the male extensions on the outer jaws and the female lugs on the inner jaws, it is not necessary to manually support the weight cf an outer jaw while changing the alignment of the pivot pin holes. Also, in a tong constructed in accordance with this invention, the outer jaws 5 and i2 can be made to weigh less than the largest interchangeable outer jaws of a tong of the type requiring interchangeable jaws to provide a full size range, thus providing a tong which is not only less expensive to build but also easier to operate.

From a cost standpoint, it is apparent that very material economies can be effected over prior devices providing a corresponding size range, because of the elimination of all extra jaws. The investment cost of tongs required on a drilling rig, as well as the cost of transportation from well site to well site, are material factors in the economics of well drilling,

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings what I now consider to be the most practical embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise details of construction illustrated and described; on the contrary, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that the essential features of the invention may be incorporated in a tong the minor features of which differ in many respects from that shown and described. Furthermore, the salient features of the invention may take various forms. For example, the series of selective pivot pin holes may be arranged in various ways, not necessarily in linear alignment and not necessarily incorporated in the outer jaws.

I claim: y

1. In a pipe tong, a lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-encircling jaw segments dening a pipe opening therebetween each segment having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, means pivotally connecting one end segment of each series to the lever at spaced points thereon, latch means providing a readily releasable connection between the other end segments of the series at a point on the side of said pipe opening substantially opposite said lever, whereby the tong may be applied laterally to and released laterally from a pipe in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the lever, and one jaw segment of each series having means providing a plurality of selective points of pivotal connection with an adjacentjaw segment of the series, whereby the elective length of each series of segments may be varied to vary the size of the pipe opening between the segments while maintaining the latch means substantially on the opposite side of the pipe opening from the lever.

2. In a pipe tong, a lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-encircling segments defining a pipe opening therebetween, means pivotally connecting one end segment of each series to the lever at spaced points thereon, latch means detachably connecting the other ends of the series together about a pipe, each segment having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, and means adjustably interconnecting a pair .of segments of each series to selectively dispose the pipe-engaging surfaces thereon at varying distances from each other and thus vary the size of the pipe opening between the segments, said means comprising an elongated male projection integral with one segment of each series, a pair of elongated female projections on an adjacent segment of each series, said female projections of each pairbeing spacedapart to receive the corresponding male projection therebetween, said male and female projections having: the one, a plurality ofspaced pivot pin openings therein, and the'other, a pivot pin opening adapted to be aligned with a selected one of said plurality of openingsA to receive a pivot pin therein.

3. A pipe tong comprising a lever, two opposed series of pipe-encircling jaw members, each jaw member having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, each series comprising a first jaw member pivotally connected at one end thereof to said lever at a point spaced from the point of attachment of the first jaw member of the other series, and a second jaw member pivotally connected to the other end of said rst jaw member, one of said jaw members having a male projection integral therewith and the other jaw member having a pair of female projections integral therewith and spaced apart to define a recess receiving said male projection, said male and female projections having: the one, a series of laterally spaced pivot pin openings therein, and the other, a pivot pin opening adapted to register with a selected one of said series of openings to receive a pivot pin, wherebyr the effective length of each series of jaw members may be varied to vary the size of the pipe opening between the segments, and means releasably latching the free ends of the two series together about a pipe.

4. A pipe tong comprising a lever, two series of pipe-contacting jaw members cooperating to dene a pipe opening, each jaw member having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, means pivotally connecting the end jaw members of the series to the lever at spaced points thereon, means providing a quickly releasable latching connection between the two series, one of said jaw members including an elongated projection and an adjacent jaw member including a pair of projecting portions spaced apart to provide a recess to receive said projection therebetween, said I projection and said pair of projecting portions having: the one, a series of pivot pin openings, and the other, a pivot pin opening adapted to selectively register with any one of said series of openings to receive a pivot pin therethrough,

whereby the effective length of said series of jaw members may be varied to vary the size of the pipe opening therebetween.

5. In a pipe tong, a lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-contacting jaw members pivf otally connected to the lever at spaced points thereon and defining a pipe opening, each jaw member having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, latch means providing a readily releasable latching connection between the two series of jaw members for enabling the tong to be applied laterally to and released laterally from a pipe, one of the jaw members in each series having a series of pivot pin openings therein and an adjacent jaw member having a pivot pin opening adapted to be selectively aligned with any one of said series of openings to receive a pivot pin therein, whereby said jaw members are adapted to be pivotally interconnected in any one of a plurality of relatively extended and contracted positions.

6. In a pipe tong, a lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-encircling segments p-ivotally connected to the lever at spaced points thereon and denning e. pipe opening, each segment having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereof, latch means releasably interconnecting the .two series of segments, and means providing an adjustable pivotal connection between a pair of adjacent segments, said means comprising an elongated projection on one segment having a series of pivot pin openings therein, the other segment having a pair of elongated projecting portions spaced apart to telescopically receive said first-named projection therebetween and having a pair of aligned pivot pin openings adjacent their outer ends adapted to be selectively aligned with any one of said series of openings to receive a pivot pin, said spaced projecting portions being constructed and arranged to provide a recess therebetween within which said projection is substantially completely enclosed when said members are fully telescoped.

'7. In a pipe tong, a lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-engaging jaw segments, means pivotally connecting the end segment of each series to the lever at spaced apart points, latch means providing a readily releasable connection between the two series of segments, means providing an adjustable pivotal connection between a pair of adjacent segments in each series, said means comprising an elongated male projection on one segment, the other segment having a pair of female projections spaced apart to define a recess therebetween adapted to receive said male projection, said male and female projections having: the one, a series of pivot pin openings, and the other, a pivot pin opening adapted to be aligned with a selected one of said series of openings to receive a pivot pin, whereby said segments are pivotally connectible in a plurality of relatively extended and contracted positions, each of said segments having a pipe-contacting surface on the inner wall thereof, the pipe-contacting surface on the jaw segment having said female projections being extended to include at least a portion of the walls of said female projections and overlapping said male projection in the contracted position of said jaws.

8. A pipe tong as set forth in claim "I, in which the pipe-contacting surface on said male jaw is of relatively short circumferential extent, and is adapted to be disposed at least partially within the projected area defined by the ends of the pipe-contacting surface on said female jaw.

9. A multiple-size pipe tong comprising a lever, two series of pivotally inter-connected pipe-en-l circling segments pivotally connected to the lever at spaced points thereon and defining a pipe opening therebetween, each segment having a pipeengaging surface on the inner wall thereof, means providing an adjustable pivotal connection between a pair of yadjacent segments in each series, said means comprising an elongated hinge portion on one segment and having a, series of hinge pin openings therein, and a hinge portion on the other segment of the pair having a hinge pin opening adapted to register with a selected one of said series of openings, and latch means providing a readily releasable connection between said two series, said latch means including means for detachably connecting said two series together in any one of a plurality of positions relative to each other.

10. A multiple-size pipe tong comprising ya lever, two series of pivotally interconnected pipe-encircling jaw members pivotally connected to the lever at spaced points thereon and defining a pipe opening therebetween, each jaw member having a pipe-engaging surface on the inner wall thereja, pivt pin', "and 'lteh means dpted 'to dtachfil 

